Insulated door



April 18, 1967 M. G. BETZ ETAL INSULATED DOOR 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 FiledApril 25, 1965 J HI] I i Fig.

April 18, 1967 M. G. BETZ ETAL INSULATED DOOR Filed April 23, 1965 2Sheets-Sheet 2 Mil/on 6. Be/z E/Ray 6. Shank Dona/a E. Snyder BY a IIWTheir Alforn ey Fly. 7

INVENTORS United States Patent Delaware Filed Apr. 23, 1965, Ser. No.450,353 4 Claims. (Cl. 49-501) This invention pertains to refrigeratingapparatus and more particularly to insulated doors such as are used toclose the refrigerated compartments of refrigerator cabinets.

Refrigerator doors are now required to be not only structurally soundand to provide an adequate seal and be thermally efiicient, but theymust also be ornamental and capable of conforming to the styling desiredby the stylists.

It is an object of our invention to provide a highly styled insulateddoor which is composed of inexpensive components and which can bemanufactured at a low cost and yet have high structural strength andrigidity, and which when slammed will emit a sound which will suggestexcellent construction.

It is another object of this invention to construct a highly styledinsulated door in which one of the structural side members is shaped toserve as a handle for opening the door.

It is another object of this invention to construct a highly styledinsulated door by fitting together styled outer structural top, bottomand side members which interfit and are fastened together and also lockin place an Omamental outer sheet to provide a rigid unitary structure.

These and other objects are attained in the door shown in the drawingsin which the sides of the door are formed of extruded aluminum shapes,the ends of which snugly fit into interfitting notches and againstshoulders provided in the top and bottom pieces. These pieces are allprovided with grooves which receive and hold the edges of an outerornamental sheet face member. The interlocking grooves and shoulderstogether with fastening screws extending through the extruded shapesinto the top and bottom pieces at the corners provide a rigid structurewhich is further supported by foam insulation cast within thisstructure. In addition the edges of the inner sheet member are fastenedto the side, top and bottom members to increase the structuralconnections between the parts to add to the strength and rigidity of thedoors as well as to provide a suitable inner face. One of the sidemembers is provided with a groove and configuration suitable forgripping the hand so as to eliminate the need for a separate handle. Theopposite side has fastened to it upper and lower hinge members which maybe concealed by a suitable removable cover if desired.

Further objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparentfrom the following description, reference being had to the accompanyingdrawings wherein a preferred embodiment of the present invention isclearly shown.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a refrigerator having an insulateddoor embodying one form of my invention;

FIGURE 2 is a top view of the door shown in FIG- URE 1;

FIGURE 3 is an irregular transverse sectional view through the doortaken along the line 3-3 of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 4 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view taken along the line44 of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 5 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view showing the upperhinge taken through the line 55 of FIGURE 1;

3,314,196 Patented Apr. 18, 1967 FIGURE 6 is a fragmentary verticalsectional view showing the lower hinge taken along the line 66 of FIGURE1; and

FIGURE 7 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view taken through thelower hinge along the line 7--7 of FIGURE 6.

Referring now to the drawings and more particularly to FIGURE 1, thereis shown a refrigerator cabinet 20 provided with an insulatedrefrigerator door 22 embodying my invention. According to my inventionas best shown in FIGURE 3, the left side of the door is provided by anextruded aluminum piece 24 preferably having its exposed surfacespolished and also having a groove 26 and a rounded edge 28 suitable forhand gripping so as to eliminate the need for an external handle. Thisis located a sufficient distance in front of the trim edge 21 of thecabinet 20 to allow the fingers to enter the groove 26. The trim edge 21conceals the door seal 92. At the upper and lower ends of the piece 24,the top and bottom pieces 36, 38 each have a shoulder 30 and a rim 32which fit the adjacent portions of the extruded aluminum side piece 24to prevent its lateral movement. In addition these top and bottommembers 36 and 38 are each provided with a notch 40 which receives theinner laterally extending portion 42 of the extruded aluminum side piece24.

The hinge side of the door 22 is provided with a somewhat similarextruded aluminum piece 44 having a front portion 48 fitting against theshoulder 47 of the top and bottom pieces 36 and 38 in a manner similarto the fit of the extruded aluminum piece 24 on the opposite side withthe top and bottom pieces 36 and 38. The top and bottom pieces 38 arealso provided with a second notch 56 which is similar to the notch 40but turned in the opposite direction to receive the laterally extendingportion 52 of the side piece 44 in the same manner as the lateralextension 42 as received by notch 40. The top and bottom members 36 and38 are also provided with a groove or notch 54 extending substantiallyparallel to the front edge 56 thereof. The ends of the notch 54 in thetop and bottom members 36 and 38 are directly aligned with notches 58and 60 provided in the side pieces 24 and 44 adjacent the shoulders 30and 48. These notches 58 and 60 extend the entire length of the pieces24 and 44 and receive the side edges of the ornamentally shaped andsurfaced face member 62. The ends of this face member 62 are held in thenotches 54 in the top and bottom members 36 and 38. This sheet member 62may be made of stainless or vinyl coated or other type of coated orcolored metal sheet or other sheet material. This sheet is furthersupported by a web 64 upon the side member 24 and a shoulder 66 on theside member 44.

The side member 44 is generally in the shape of a U providing a deepwide groove for receiving the upper and lower hinge members 68 and 70which are fastened to the inner wall of the member 44 by suitable screws72. These hinge members 68 and 70 are formed of a heavy metal strip 76each having an edge curled to form an eyelet 78 receiving a hinge pin 80extending through apertures 81 in the top and bottom members 36, 38 intothe door from a hinge bracket 82 fastened to an adjacent portion of thecabinet 20. An L-shaped bracket 79 is welded to the eyelet 78 and thefiat part of the strip 76 to rigidly hold the eyelet. The constructionof the two hinges 68 and 70 is similar excepting that they are reversedin position. The entire inner grooved portion of the side member 44 aswell as the hinges 68 and 70 is preferably covered by a snap in placesheet metal cover 71 having spring extensions fitting protrusions on theside member 44.

The structure of the door is further strengthened at the corners thereofby the screws 84 which pass inwardly through the flange portions 42 and52 of the side member 24 and 44 into the adjacent projections 86provided on the top and bottom members 36 and 38 as illustrated inFIGURE 4 to form a rigid rectangular frame. Thus fastened together, thedoor becomes a strong structure.

At this stage the door may be placed in a suitable mold and filled withplastic resin foam 88, such as polyurethane foam having entrappedpermanently within its cells an insulating gas such asdichloromonofiuoromethane. This plastic resin foam will efficientlyinsulate the door and also add to its structural strength since it formsa strong bond with the side and the top and bottom members as well asthe sheet face member 62. This will also provide a sound when the dooris slammed which will suggest excellent construction.

Following the insulation of the door with the foam material 88, theinner sheet member 90 (preferably of a suitable plastic resin sheet)together with the metal clamps 94 holding a suitable magnetic door seal92 are fastened in place by screws 84 around the inner perimeter of thedoor. The inner sheet member 90 has notches or apertures through whichextend the previously installed screws 84 at the four corners.

If desired the inner sheet member and the magnetic seal may be fastenedin place by the screws 84 prior to the filling of the door with the foaminsulation 88. The foam forming materials for the insulation 88 are theninserted into the interior of the door through an aperture in the innersheet member 90. With either type of construction a very strong solidrigid door is provided which does not require an added exterior handle,since the hand gripping formation of the piece 24 at the left side ofthe door serves as a handle. The front edges of the top and bottommembers 36 and 38 as well as front walls of the notches 58 and 60 arebuffed to a bright finish to provide an ornamental contrasting borderfor the outer sheet face member 62 which has a curved mid portion andforwardly bent side portions as shown in FIGURES 1 and 3.

While the embodiment of the present invention as herein disclosed,constitutes a preferred form, it is to be understood that other formsmight be adopted.

What is claimed is as follows:

1. An insulated door including structural side members of substantiallyuniform irregular cross-section having opposed inturned edges extendingfrom the top to the bottom and having outwardly facing edges, top andbottom cap members extending between the side members and havingdownwardly and upwardly extending flanges, respectively, extendingaround the edges thereof and overlapping in a close fitting arrangementthe outwardly facing edges at the upper and lower ends of the sidemembers, said cap members each having means cooperating with saidflanges forming outwardly extending notches adjacent the ends thereofreceiving the inturned edge of the adjacent side member, inner and outerface members held in place by the side and top and bottom members, andinsulating means between said inner and outer face members.

2. A door as specified in claim 1 in which the means forming the notchesis in the form of a projection having a threaded aperture and in which athreaded fastening member extends through the adjacent portion of theside members into said threaded aperture in said projection.

3. A door as specified in claim 1 in which one of the said side membershas a wide and deep inwardly extending groove extending from top tobottom and provided with a rounded exposed edge suitable for handgripping extending substantially from the top to the bottom thereof.

4. A door as specified in claim 1 in which one of the side members isgenerally U-shaped in cross section extending substantially uniformlyfrom the top to the bottom and having flanges which extend outwardly,and hinge means located in the U-shaped side member for pivotallysupporting the door.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,733,483 2/1956Anderson 49386 2,866,675 12/1958 Kesling 49401 3,104,699 9/1963 Wolf etal. 526 2O 3,161,922 12/1964 Morcheles et al. 52620 3,218,678 11/1965Russell 49489 HARRISON R. MOSELEY, Primary Examiner.

KENNETH DOWNEY, Examiner.

1. AN INSULATED DOOR INCLUDING STRUCTURAL SIDE MEMBERS OF SUBSTANTIALLYUNIFORM IRREGULAR CROSS-SECTION HAVING OPPOSED INTURNED EDGES EXTENDINGFROM THE TOP TO THE BOTTOM AND HAVING OUTWARDLY FACING EDGES, TOP ANDBOTTOM CAP MEMBERS EXTENDING BETWEEN THE SIDE MEMBERS AND HAVINGDOWNWARDLY AND UPWARDLY EXTENDING FLANGES, RESPECTIVELY, EXTENDINGAROUND THE EDGES THEREOF AND OVERLAPPING IN A CLOSE FITTING ARRANGEMENTTHE OUTWARDLY FACING EDGES AT THE UPPER AND LOWER ENDS OF THE SIDEMEMBERS, SAID CAP MEMBERS EACH HAVING MEANS COOPERATING WITH SAIDFLANGES FORMING OUTWARDLY EXTENDING NOTCHES ADJACENT THE ENDS THEREOFRECEIVING THE INTURNED EDGE OF THE ADJACENT SIDE MEMBER, INNER AND OUTERFACE MEMBERS HELD IN PLACE BY THE SIDE AND TOP AND BOTTOM MEMBERS, ANDINSULATING MEANS BETWEEN SAID INNER AND OUTER FACE MEMBERS.